The main theme in the reading is on gender stratification by the traditional approaches to international relations analyzes the role played by women in society. The social role of men and women gives men more authority, benefit, and prestige that violate the democratic ideal in a contemporary society. The superior accomplishment of men in the political, economic and social sphere is believed be as a result of inborn superiority rather than a social advantage. The theoretical weakness and violence of women led to the rising of feminist scholarship entering the discipline of IR with the view to destabilizing the pre-cold war regime of woman violence (Zalewski 2018 p2).
The elements of gender violence, women absence, and exploitation of women have a substantial impact on global politics. The absence of women in global politics was rampant and women were viewed as not fit for high political leadership such as sovereignty, the state, and military security (Zalewski 2018 p5). The traditional theoretical approach to IR focused on demonstrating gender identities that stipulated the role of men and women in society. There was no clear distinction of sex as a biological and gender as socially constructed that was used in the analysis of role women. Gendered profiling that view women as protected has contributed to women gender violence and marginalization of women in global politics.
The theory that is presented in the article is feminist theory to international relations post 1989. Feminist IR theory explains society through the lens of gender inequality and focuses on how gender shapes the global political and economic spheres. The rise of female scholarship was aimed at correcting the imbalances, biases, discrimination directed towards women.in recent years. Feminist IR theory involves developing various theoretical topologies that include liberal, socialist Marxist, radical and postmodern in conjunction with philosophically inspired analyses.
Strength and Weakness
The article clearly highlights the absence of women in the institutional structures and decision making. The contribution of feminist international relation theory in making woman visible from the traditional perception is the strength identified in the article. Feminist advocated for the right of women to have equal political opportunities as men. Cynthia Enloe (1989) inspired feminist to address international relations with a feminist consciousness and see women as essential actors in the international system.
The article has sufficient evidence on the significance of the feminist approach in the post-cold war period. Gender as a concept has been incorporated in the national and international organization. The author highlights important issues for example resolutions which include SCR 2106&SCR 2122 both in 2013 that prevent the violation women rights and sexual abuse. In addition, the author has effectively enumerated the .collaboration of World Bank with the private sector in the Global South in empowering women economically (Zalewski 2018 p8). This shed more lights in the contribution of feminism that has led to more women are evidently participating in the political leadership and women serve in large numbers in the military around the world.
The author effectively uses feminist international relation theory in the article with each of the topologies addresses to give a more informative approach to the International relations. The topologies include radical, socialist Marxist liberal, and postmodern. In addition, the author gives a more elaborate example of four iconic women involved in difficult situations on global politics in different ways. The reflection of the lives of the four iconic women reveals that woman remains to be identified by her gender. The theory has been utilized well in the article with an appropriate comparison of the traditional international relation and the feminist approach. Moreover, adequate references are evident that give more insight into the perspective of the theory in international relations. One of the most influential works highlighted in the article in feminist IR was Cynthia Enloe’s Bananas, Beaches, and Bases (1989). Enloe (1989) advocated for the need of IR scholars to view women as important actors in the international system.
The article is persuasive and practicable in the 21st century. The current movements have seen the works of feminist increase the participation of women in the political arena and in the military. Hillary Clinton, for instance, was included in the last United States presidential race that acted as an inspiration for women to participate in political roles. The feminist approach, therefore, acts as an essential tool in portraying the current social, economic and political roles for women.
Reflection of the Material
The above article highlights the gender inequality that demonstrated the base upon which the international relations rest. This has enabled me to appreciate the contribution of the feminist theory in global politics by demonstrating the contributions of women and their roles in global politics. In addition, the article creates a deeper awareness of the value to recognize women as important actors in the political, social and economic process. This article, therefore, enables an individual to view them and appreciate the role of women in international relations through the lens of gender inequality.
However, the article puts more emphasis on women issues and fails to point out that the innate masculinity of IR is as a result of the failure of women not participating in the feminist scholarship leaving men to dominate. Arguably it would be appropriate for the woman to participate more in the male dominated IR and necessitate the analysis of exclusion of women in the women in IR from a more feminist consciousness approach.
Recommendation
The author has presented the argument in a clear and consistent manner. The flow of thoughts from the previous theory and the applicability of feminist theory in the current world are impressive. The article articulates the woman absence in the global political, social and economic process as a result of gender profiling. Thus the author highlights the use of feminist theory in destabilizing the construction of the gender identities that acts as a powerful organizing framework of women in international relations. However, more emphasis should have been incorporated on the need for women to participate in the IR discipline in order to promote the analysis of women in more feminist consciousness approach.
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Bibliography
Zalewski,M (2018). Feminist Approaches to International Relations Theory in the Post-Cold War Period.
